The 68th annual “School’s Open – Drive Carefully” campaign was recently launched at AAA New York’s headquarters in Garden City. Attending the ceremony was Commissioner Ken Jackson and Detective Richard Pedone of the Garden City Police Department, along with local school children.
Colorful “School’s Open” posters will be mounted in Garden City to warn motorists to be extra careful as thousands of local youngsters return to school.
“The help that we get from our club-area police departments adds to the effectiveness of our ‘School’s Open’ campaign,” said Donna Galasso, assistant director of the club’s traffic safety unit. “We appreciate the efforts of Commissioner Jackson and Detective Pedone, which will result in increased safety for all students,” she added.
Galasso reminds drivers, including bicyclists, to be especially cautious in school areas, keeping their speed at or below posted limits and being prepared to stop, on both sides of the street, for school buses with flashing red lights and stop arms, as required by New York State law.
The club’s annual “School’s Open – Drive Carefully” campaign is conducted with local government and police agencies. Thousands of posters, bumper stickers and other educational materials are distributed through the program.
AAA New York State’s “School’s Open – Drive Carefully” program began in 1945. Since then, it has helped to prevent injuries and deaths among children of elementary school age.
AAA New York, the local AAA affiliate, provides automotive, travel and financial services to more than 1.6 million members in New York City, and in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Herkimer and parts of Lewis, Madison and Oneida counties.
